Cool Cancellara repeats at Tour of Flanders

A wily Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland/Trek) won his third Tour of Flanders from a four-man sprint Sunday, attacking his breakmates from last position in a devastating show of power to retain his title. Cancellara joins five other men, including Tom Boonen (Belgium/Omega Pharma-QuickStep), with three Ronde van Vlaanderen victories.

It was a crash-marred race, with several riders going to the hospital after wrecks. Johan Vansummeren (Belgium/Garmin-Sharp) also badly injured a spectator standing on road furniture in a collision. In the midst of this chaos, an 11-man breakaway managed to take some road away from the peloton. Within it was Taylor Phinney (USA/BMC).

After 100-km in the lead and several hills and cobbled sections, there was only a six-pack of escapees left, with Phinney accounted for. When the gap was down to 2:00 with 70-km remaining, a three-man chase containing Phinney’s teammate Manuel Quinziato (Italy) spurted from the peloton on the Kanarieberg. This caused Cannondale and Tinkoff-Saxo to work at the front of the select bunch.

On the second climb of the Oude Kwaremont and first ascent of the Paterberg, the Phinney-led escape was down to a trio. Through Omega-Pharma’s labours a group of 13 reeled in the trio. Omega Pharma had four men but Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Cannondale) and Cancellara were isolated. Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Norway/Sky) and Dries Devenyns (Belgium/Giant-Shimano) tried their luck on the Steenbeekdries but couldn’t stay away.

A decisive attack came on the Taaienberg climb with 37-km to go. A couple of Belgians, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma) got away and led over the final climb of Oude Kwaremont. It was on the Kwaremont that Cancellara and Sep Vanmarcke (Belgium/Belkin) tore away from the others. The two duos merged soon after the final climb of the day, the second haul up the Paterberg.

With 11-km to go there were the foursome up front, Milan-San Remo winner Alexander Kristoff (Norway/Katusha) trying to bridge and the Sagan group 25-seconds back. Everyone bar Vandenbergh worked hard in the break to stay away, and it was the Omega Pharma rider who attacked first. The race leaders took turns attacking one another and then played cat-and-mouse in the final kilometre.

Cancellara hit the gas and came around the Belgians, with Van Avermaet runner-up and Vanmarcke third in the sprint. While waiting for interviews and post-race festivities, Spartacus used a table top to slam the cap off a bottle of beer and chug it down with great satisfaction.

None of the three Canadians in the race – Svein Tuft (Orica-GreenEdge), Antoine Duchesne (Europcar) and Hugo Houle (Ag2r) – finished the race.